Office of Disability Services

General Information

Muhlenberg College is a competitive institution of higher education committed to ensuring that all qualified students with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations, auxiliary aids, and services to ensure full access to programs, services and activities. Students with disabilities who are the most successful at the post secondary level are those who are appropriately qualified and prepared for independent academic study, have full knowledge of the impact of their disability, and who demonstrate well-developed self-advocacy skills. Students with disabilities should also be well-informed about the changes in the laws that govern their rights and responsibilities as a college student as well as the laws that govern the post secondary institution’s responsibilities to students with disabilities who are in attendance.

Prior IDEIA classification with an IEP or a “504” Accommodation Plan does not guarantee that a student will be eligible for accommodations, auxiliary aids and services at Muhlenberg College. The criteria for eligibility at post secondary institutions are different than those used for eligibility determination in K-12 arena. Under the ADA 1990, a disability is defined as “a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, or having a record of such an impairment, or being regarded as having such an impairment”. Disability Documentation submitted to obtain accommodations, auxiliary aids, and services at the post secondary level must identify the disability, provide evidence of the disability’s impact on the major life activity, and suggest recommendations for accommodations.

Students with disabilities requesting accommodations and services at Muhlenberg College must complete an application process and be approved prior to the development of an accommodation plan. This multi-faceted process and approval includes the student’s self-disclosure and personal interview, the timely submission of detailed documentation of the disability which must provide evidence, the interpretation of these elements, and the determination of disability status in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the standards of Muhlenberg College.